The present invention is directed to a device useful for woodworking and other crafts. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tool or kit including several tools that can be used to form dovetail joints in workpieces, including sliding dovetail joints.
In woodworking and other crafts, it is often desirable to form dovetail joint between two workpieces and/or other structures. The dovetail joint is typically made up of a dovetail pin and a dovetail groove. The dovetail is typically cut with a slight interference so that the joint fits snuggly together to form a locking joint. The dovetail joint can be a self locking joint and is often used in drawer construction. In such embodiments, a series of interlocking pins are generally cut into the end of one work piece that fit into a matching set of dovetail grooves cut into a corresponding workpiece. In such applications, the ends of two workpieces are typically joined across their width at their edges to form a 90xc2x0 joint.
A second less commonly found dovetail joint is the tapered sliding dovetail joint. One place where this type of joint is used is in the construction of cabinets and bookcases, where fixed shelves are joined to the sides of the structure. This type of joint is difficult to prepare, so it is rarely used except by the most skilled and experienced craftsmen. The tapered sliding dovetail joint is typically used to join the face of one workpiece to the end of another workpiece. In this application a dovetail groove is formed in the face of one workpiece. The dovetail groove starts on the edge of the workpiece and continues across the width of the workpiece generally terminating short of the opposite edge of the workpiece, so as to not weaken the workpiece. A single matching dovetail pin is formed on the end of the corresponding workpiece. The pin is typically configured to stop short of the edge of the workpiece so that it matches the dovetail groove formed in the face of the other workpiece. It is preferred that the dovetail groove and dovetail pin be tapered evenly through their length to allow the work pieces to be assembled to each other and to allow the proper interference of fit to be achieved to form a locking joint. The taper makes it very difficult for the average woodworker to form reliably with conventional tools. The workpieces are joined by inserting the minor end of the pin into open dovetail groove and sliding them together to achieve the desired fit.
Due to the difficulty in forming suitable tapered pins and grooves for use in sliding dovetail joints, it would be desirable to provide devices for easily forming both the tapered sliding dovetail pin and the matching tapered sliding dovetail groove of a tapered sliding dovetail joint. Further, the device provides a means for accurately tapering the pin and/or groove of the workpiece so as to provide a snug fit between the pin and groove. The present invention also provides a kit including the tooling necessary to make sliding dovetail joints with conventional hand-held tools, such as routers.
The present invention provides a template for making tapered sliding dovetail joints in workpieces. The template comprises a groove guide made from a plate having a length, a width, a thickness, a top surface, a bottom surface, a perimeter and at least one groove having a longitudinal centerline, a pair of longitudinal groove edges, a first end having a minor width and a second end having a major width that is larger than the minor width, wherein the first end of the groove is located inward from the perimeter of the plate. The guide plate also includes at least one stabilizing member disposed on the bottom surface of the template for holding the template in place while the sliding dovetail groove is being formed in the workpiece.
The present invention may also be presented in the form of a kit for making tapered sliding dovetail joints including guide plate, as described above, and a pin guide having a longitudinal centerline, a pair of side edges, a workpiece side, a tool side, a minor end having a minor width and a major end having a major width that is larger than the minor width such that the template has a taper in width from the major end to the minor end, and at least one stabilizing member disposed on the workpiece side of the template for holding the template in place while the sliding dovetail pin is being formed from the workpiece.
The kit may also include a router stabilizer comprising a first rail member, a second rail member, and at least one spacing element, the spacing element providing a means for holding the first rail member and the second rail member in a desired configuration with respect to each other. The kit may also include a dept of cut gage, instructions for using pin guide and/or the groove guide and/or a package for storing the pin guide and the groove guide.